Lonely Planet India – August 2019

WORDS:

BRENDAN

SAINSBURY.

PHOTOGRAPHS:

IMAGEBROKER/

ALAMY, JAVARMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK, SAINT A/SHUTTERSTOCK

SEVILLE’S

FLAMENCO

RENAISSANCE

Spain’s most powerfulartformoriginated

in Andalucía’s capital,andit’sstillthebestplace

in the country to feeltheemotiveforceandelusive

spirit of live performance

Coloured by Roma legends, Spanish folklore, word-of-mouth
stories and an intriguing air of mystery, flamenco is a
complicated tapestry of music, song, dance, art and lifestyle
dating back to the 15th century. In Andalucía, the regionof
its genesis, three cities - Seville, Cádiz and Jerez de la Frontera

• all claim to be the cradle of the art. In Seville, the jovial,
  passionate, grandiose capital of Andalucía, not only canyou
  see top-drawer flamenco any night of the week, but you can
  also visit a flamenco museum, partake in an intensive course
  or see locals dress up and dance during the Feria de Abril.
  Flamenco in Seville has deep historical roots. Mixing Jewish,
  Moorish, nomadic and folkloric elements, the music
  originated in the former Roma neighbourhood of Triana
  before slowly evolving and branching out. During the
  mid-19th century, the city played a key role in introducing
  flamenco to the general populace through its café cantantes


• stylised music halls that sold drinks and put on regular
  shows. Despite the march towards modernity, flamenco
  remains a largely live phenomenon. Relying heavily on
  spontaneity and improvisation, the music doesn’t transpose
  well in recordings; its power lies in the moment, and
  the spark of a live recital. The goal is to inspire ‘duende’


• an intangible spirit felt at the emotional climax of a near-
  perfect performance. It’s a precious and rare force,
  and Seville is full of it.

4.Casa Anselma

The Anselma is an old-school watering

hole in Triana decked out like a Roma

dive bar, where hordes of locals come to

witness (and sometimes partake in) mad

jam sessions enlivened with outbreaks

of spontaneous dancing. To call the music

here ‘pure’ flamenco would be stretching

it. Suffice to say, there are guitars,

yodelling voices and plenty of pounding

on tables. As far as tourists are

concerned, the Anselma is off the radar,

probably because finding it isn’t easy –

1. Casa de la Guitarra
   A flamenco renaissance has been taking
   place in Seville over the past five years,
   spearheaded by small, clamorous clubs
   such as this one, where seating is limited
   to 60 and the music is close-up and
   explosive. Owned by ex-flamenco
   guitarist José Luis Postigo, who has hung
   most of his impressive guitar collection
   on the walls, the club comes with few
   other embellishments (no food or drink is
   served), preferring to direct the audience’s
   attention 100 per cent towards the stage.
   Like a Roma juerga (party) of old, the
   Casa de la Guitarra packs ‘em in so tight
   that spectators in the front row are likely
   to feel the swish of the dancer’s dress on
   their faces and the gravel in the singer’s
   voice in their ears. This is what flamenco
   is all about:a full-onsensoryexperience
   whereyou’llbegraduallysuckedin
   and– if you’relucky– visitedbyduende,
   thatstrange,fleetingflamencospirit
   (www.flamencoensevilla.com).

2.MuseodelBaileFlamenco

Spreadoverthreefloorsof a reconfigured

18th-centurypalacea five-minutestroll

fromtheCasadela Guitarra,thisarchive

of flamencomemorabiliais morethan

justa museum;it’sadefactocultural

centrethatrunsflamencocoursesand

hostseveningperformancesin a specially

designedpatio.Makingfulluseof

moderntechnology,themuseumtakes

visitorsonaninteractivejourneythrough

flamenco’shistoryusingfilmprojections,

originalsketchesandpaintings,photos

of flamencogreats,andanextensive

collectionof dressesandshawls.For

anall-encompassingflamencoevening,

arrivearound6pm,giveyourselfanhour

to lookaroundthemuseum,andthenstay

fortheelectrifying7pmconcert

(www.museodelbaileflamenco.com)

3.CasadelaMemoria

Neithera manufactureddinnershow,

nor an intimate peña (private club),

this attractive cultural institution

accommodated in the old stables of the

Palacio de la Lebrija is a halfway house

between full-on flamenco theatre and

the hell-bent Roma get-togethers of yore.

Stylistically, it strikes a good balance

between professionalism and passion to

offer what are, without doubt, some of the

most authentic nightly shows in Seville. It is

perennially popular, with space limited

to 100. Reserve tickets at least a day in

advance (www.casadelamemoria.es).

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88 August 2019